Freshwater drops case against school « Taking it to the Streets

M Baker

Mable and Dorthy, teaching religion in school has never been OK. I graduated over 40 years ago, and they strickly avoided religion then. I approved of what they did then, and I’m still glad they don’t allow it now. What Freshwater did is inexcusable in a public classroom, and he knew very well what he was doing was wrong and even tried to cover it up. Of all the areas of teaching, science is the one area teachers know best not teach religion in the classroom. He was arragant about keeping his Bible on his desk, and he payed the for that with his job. It’s only a shame he wasn’t fired much earlier for his incompetence as a teacher.

It’s people like Freshwater and his backward supporters that try to advance their own beliefs above all others that create problems like this. They are not the answer to our problems today and if anything, they are part of the problem. They remeind me of the Tea Party supporters in government, and in fact, many of them are Tea Party members. They believe they have all the answers by just using “common sense”, but in reality they have none. They like his supporters, are against or afraid of the intellectual “elite”, simply because they are more equiped to understand both sides of our problems. “Christians” like Freshwater and his followers and people like Palin and her followers are all alike, their critical of the current system, but they refuse to accept how the Supreme Court has interpeted our Constitution.

jason

I also graduated from mvhs in the late 90′s and i never had respect for mr freshwater. not from the time that i was on the wrestling mat, to this day. I was told that catholics are not christians. since that day i never believed a word he said.

Mike

This goes out to Mabel, Dorothy, and the rest of you who think it’s okay to promote *your* version of Christianity in a taxpayer-supported public entity (public schools, libraries, town hall offices):
Religion is like a penis. It’s okay to have one, and it’s even okay to be quite proud of it. But please, don’t wave it around in public, and don’t force it on my kids.
Or, to put it more biblically, when pushing your beliefs on others runs afoul of civil law, obey the law (“Render unto Ceasar, as Jesus said). When it comes to public displays of worship, please do as Jesus instructed and do so in private, not in public like the Pharisees. And, above all, obey the golden rule. You wouldn’t want some else’s religious symbols burnt onto the skin of your child, so don’t allow someone from your own faith to do the same to other people’s children. It’s quite simple, if you understand biblical teachings.

mabel weller

Sounds like blasphemy to me.
Whitney

I agree w/ you, Mike, along w/ Thomas Jefferson, who first coined the words “separation of church and state”. I had Mr. Freshwater as a teacher in 7th grade. I thought he was nuts back then, but I never thought he would do something like this. Honestly, I don’t think this was a display of religious zealotry, but a sick, old man who lost his marbles. I think the guy needs help, and he definitely shouldn’t be teaching anyone.
c’mon

Brilliant analogy Mike!

shannaf

Do any of you really know him personally? If not then you have no right to judge him on a personal level! I was one of his students even though I graduated in ’97 I still have respect for him. When ever I had an issue I knew he was a teacher I could go talk to with out being judged unlike some other teachers. I had another teacher give me a detention because I refused to water artificial flowers, something he would of never done. Just because he had his bible on his desk it was always there. It is just some people think what ever they want and do not know him on a personal level and want to come on here and say what ever they want even though they do not know the full truth themselves! The media only tells you what is going to sell the newspaper nothing more. There are a lot of you that need to just grow up and wake up to what really goes on. Its just another step like taking the pledge away because it says “GOD” in it and the changing of money so it no longer says it too. No one is suppose to have a personal side anymore or a choice.

Alex

Maybe he should just go look for a job at a Christian school.

Robert

You people who are so judgemental about someone before you really get to know the person I have known John for over twenty years and he is not what the media and the school board is trying to portray him as. Hes not the one doing anything wrong its them. If it was you you probably would be crying for mama right now. So quite your crying

my2centsworth

Mabel….. maybe he’ll do better at selling apples than teaching school. In that setting he can make his own rules, do as he pleases, & answer to no one except himself. Most headstrong people like him need to be their own boss, because they cannot follow the rules.
By the way….. maybe he will hire you.

mabel weller

You amaze me, accusing everyone else of being headstrong. Do you ever look in a mirror?

Anna

First, it’s interesting how people take the opinions of others personally….

Second, if Freshwater had been able to see the “big picture”, and had wanted to make a difference in the lives of his students instead of furthering his own agenda, he would have put his Bible away and kept his job in a place of influence. Now, he’s left with no money, almost no home, and a lot of people who no longer respect him.

Yes, he took a stand– and doing so does take courage– but in the end, because of his inconsistencies and ill-informed statements (see Sarah Moore’s response in the article), Freshwater damaged his position more than he “defended the Truth”.

mabel weller

When a “hearing” goes on over 2 years, who honestly can remember everything? Especially, if you’re getting pounded.

ang

so glad this is over. it took 2 years too long. what good does he do his students if he isn’t even there. get a small bible for your pocket, man. get over yourself. this was for you and you only.

Charley Horse

QUOTE Dorothy Rene:
“Mr. Freshwater is an inspiration to all of us Christians and I have faith that the truth will come out.”
Freshwater thought the truth would never come out or that you and other like minded
would prevent his firing. Well, the truth has come out. What you really want is for his
lies and theft to be ignored.

holycow

patrick johns- I assume that goes for you as well. How did Barack Obama get into this blog? I didn’t read his name in the article at all.
FYI- no one is basbing a teacher for what they believe. They are commenting because he can’t force that on children in a public classroom.

jason

@ patrick Jones –

I loved your constructive comments. They really helped me see this issue clearer.

He is not sticking by his beliefs. He is sticking by his lies, and his lies are always changing. If he was in the right, many more of us would be standing by his side. But he is in the wrong. Where are all those people who were standing up for him 3 years ago. They are all gone. They are gone because the facts have come out. The only people standing next to him now also believe his crazy lies.

I truly hope the state of Ohio revokes his teacher license. he should not teach children in a public school setting.

mabel weller

Jason, What “facts” are you referring to? What is your reasoning for his not being capable to teach children in a Public School? Maybe you are right. Maybe those of us who are Christians should remove our children from the public schools and the nonsense they are force fed. This is happening more and more now and we should have input into how our tax dollars are spent. Hopefully, with this upcoming election, we will put people in who will turn this state and country around from all of this political correctness.

mabel weller

You can always spot a Liberal by their bitterness, both in their spoken and written words. It also affects their facial features. Sour prunefaces. I’m also thankful for John Freshwater’s stance, especially in this time of moral depravity. It took courage . I’m sorry it ended this way, but the table was stacked against him. How can your school levy pass after this fiasco?

ang

he didn’t do any good. honestly! now, he teaches zero students. when you become a teacher for public schools, you are aware of what you can and cannot say in regards to religion. he knew, he pushed it. he SHOULD have taken his bible OFF his desk. maybe then, he’d still be there where he could still be a positive influence to his students.

Miriam St. Jean

Freshwater was “targeted” because he was insubordinate and breached his teaching contract.

He and his attorney were “fined” $28,000.00 (targeted) by a Federal Court Judge because they were liars and got caught lying.

Nothing more. Nothing less, John Q.

John Q. Public

Welcome to the truth in our right to the protections established in our Constitution. Many political people whom are in office proclaim that they support our Federal Constitional…however, they are really against it as it serves their political agenda. Come on, Mr. Freshwater was clearly the target because he is a Christian.

DB Cooper

This is all very confusing. It appears that Mr. Freshwater is so convinced by his own goodness, that he now believes that anything he does – because HE does it – is okay. Very strange.

patrick johns

I just think its funny how many of you jokers are bashing a person for what the believe. Just because your a fake christian that loves barack obama does not mean we are the same. Comments are supposed to be constructive. Next time you have something ignorant to say keep it to yourself.

Miriam St. Jean

It seems that Dorothy still believes that the Wizard of Oz is real

Oh well

my2centsworth

Amy… Is that how you do things at your place of employment? The boss tells you the specific way something is supposed to be done, & you go ahead & do it YOUR way?

If so, you should be fired same as ole’ Freshwater was. Hes stubborn, self righteous, liar, arrogant, & its his way or the highway.
All those prayers some of you are saying for him didnt help at all. why?…cause God wont defend people like him. Hes the one at fault.

mabel weller

my2cents worth, I see you’re still hiding behind a fake name. As to God answering our prayers, they will be, in due time. There is a Judgement Day coming. I’m stunned at the bitterness some of you have spewed. I would think you would be more concerned with the profanity the students are using. According to the news, it’s a nationwide problem. Could it be because of people like you prefer that to a Godly teacher? God must surely be shaking his head in wonderment.
- ang
  
  shaking his head in wonderment…. he sure is.

Ralph

Dorothy (and others of her thinking)…I’m Christian but John is not an “inspiration” to me. He’s an embarrassment!

Robert

You must not be a true Christian. Do you even know what the true meaning of a Christian is? I very much doubt it. Not a single one of you who claim to be Christian and are against John for his beliefs are either being fooled by the lies or are not really a Christain as you say you are.

Mike

Dorothy, how would you feel if Mr. Freshwater was a Muslim, kept a Koran on his desk, and tried to incorporate his religious beliefs about the Islamic version of creation into his science curriculum? Would he still be a hero for standing up for his beliefs in your eyes? And if he then burned a crescent moon pattern on your kid’s arm? Hero?
p.s. The Islamic version of creation is the same as yours: Adam, Eve, and Eden. Just so you know .

mabel weller

This is a ridulous comparison.
- Anna
  
  Actually, it’s a pretty fair comparison. Since our country separates Church and State, it’s fair to consider what we would do if a Muslim teacher promoted their faith in a public classroom. I dare say they’d get away with more than we think, though. People aren’t exactly objective on the subject of separation of church and state— as is clearly shown in the comments we see above and below..

M Baker

Freshwater’s comments on the reasons for dropping his case is unbelievable and doesn’t make any sense. It just furthers the belief that many have had all along that he has lied in court and does’nt see anything that he has done wrong. Dispite all of the numerous issues involved in this case, when you get down to the bottom of his case, it really only involved the issue of separation between the Chruch and State. Dispite the fact it is one of our founding beliefs and has been validated numerous times by the Supreme Court, not to mention the 1st Admendment of our Constitution, he seemed to believe differently and felt he could change that basic foundation. He put his faith, career, and farm on the line, in doing so also and took a heavy finacial loss in the process. He is not a hero he may have felt he would be, but just another religious zegot who will never respect our separation of Church and State and will continue to try to inject his beliefs on others.

Amy Justice

No matter what has happened with this situation I will always commend him for refusing to remove his Bible from the classroom.

Charley Horse

He was not told to remove his Bible from the classroom.
Seems you only hear and see what Freshwater’s rabid defenders
say and write. As I have said before, lying for Jesus is not an honorable
thing to do.
- Robert
  
  Sorry to disagree with you but I know it was a refusal to remove the Bible from the desk. All of the other bull was just the opportunity of a certain family and other people to see if they could get rid of him by blaming him for things I believe he didnt do. Like burning a cross on the kids arm. If it was so terrible why didnt his parents come forward alot sooner than it did.
  - Mike
    
    I see you’re still trying to blame the victims here. “That family”, as you refer to them, DID bring their concerns forward immediately. They weren’t seeking money, but an apology AND a promise that there would be no more burnings, or pushing religion, in class. Then Freshwater engaged in lies, deception, and insubordination to “make a stand”. He’s a fool, and blaming the victims, as you are, and further running them out of town with death threats and vandalism by so-called Christians against them, only goes to show the tenor of your brand of Christianity. “By the fruit shall ye know the tree”. Do you people even READ the bible you so proudly display at every opportunity, or is it just a prop to show how pious you are?
    - mabel weller
      
      Yes, I read the Bible and try to follow it’s teachings, and one of the Lord’s commands to his followers was to go and preach the Gospel so all would know and follow Him. He also taught we are all brethren who are in Christ and we are not to call each other a fool.It is folly to question anothers faith. You know the scriptures asking why you see the splinter in your brethrens eye and not the plank in your own? Perhaps a little more Bible study will help some of these bitter posts. These are not my words but those in the Scriptures.

burk

Thanks for including Sarah Moore’s response:

‚ÄúThere was no settlement offer to accept or reject. There was no money on the table for [Freshwater] to leave there. We were baffled when we received the e-mail from him and we can’t even begin to speculate why he is saying what he is saying.‚Äù

For a guy who claims to be interested in the truth, Freshwater seems awfully out of practice.

Charley Horse

It was Freshwater’s dishonesty and theft that has cost the taxpayers a ton of cash.
Lying for Jesus is not an honorable thing to do.
Yes, he is a thief. He was hired to teach science and not to proselytize. He defrauded
the taxpayers. He defrauded his students.
He lied and continues to lie. The latest that he “left money on the table” is a lie
according to the school board’s attorney. It is either a lie or he is hallucinating.

mabel weller

Thank God for “thieves” like John Freshwater. If only more teachers were like him, our world wouldn’t be in such a mess today
- comeon
  
  Mabel whether you know it or not the world does not revolve around you and your church. When you are a teacher you can have your beliefs, they just belong in your home and in your church. they do not belong in the public classroom. The saying goes not on the governments time and not on the governments dime.
  This is a country of all faiths, not one.
  I will pray for you.
  - mabel weller
    
    Read your Bible if you have one, especially the New Testament. The answers are there. One God, one church.
    - really?
      
      Yes and it is my Church, not yours.
  - mabel weller
    
    Never said it did. This is not an original government ruling and we all know it. It was established by a liberal Supreme Court after ONE atheist demanded it. It’s really just the beginning for them unless cocerned citizens rise up against it.
    - mabel weller
      
      Reaaly? It is not MY church, It is Christ’s church. This is so senseless to argue about whose church is right. My 5 siblings all married Catholics and we had our share of Holy Wars, yet never changed each others opinions. We learned to accept each other, warts and all. We still love each other and respect each others choice. I know there has always been this spiritual(?) battle in Mount Vernon, and it was most prominent in the animosity between the two hospitals. Such silliness and now it has spilled over into the schools and Freshwater was its scapegoat.
    - really?
      
      Mabel- That is our point. No religion is the same in their beliefs. Even the many Christian denominations. So NONE of them should be taught in public schools.
      The hearing could have been done faster. One example is to hold it over the summer months. That could have sped it up by 6 months! That is not the schools fault.

Miriam St. Jean

Dorothy

I think it’s nice your church is praying for Freshwater – will you also be paying the $28,000.00 costs assessed against him by the Federal Court Judge for being less than honest with that Court?

That would be nice, too

Dorothy Rene

Mr. Freshwater is an inspiration to all of us Christians and I have faith that the truth will come out. The simple fact that I can’t get over is that the student’s mom was so concerned about getting the money from the burning incident but wasn’t concerned enough to take him to the doctor. That seems fishy to me. People will take advantage of whatever they can for money these days. It’s sad. Refreshing though to see that in the end it is NOT about the money and really is all about not giving up his beliefs. I love the closing statement that he will not take his Bible off his desk. God bless you John Freshwater. My church is praying for you.

Duncan

Dorothy, a point of clarification: The Freshwater’s have dropped *their* lawsuit against the Board of Education. This was not the suit initiated by the Doe family. And as far as anyone knows, there were no settlement talks in this suit, so Freshwater’s statement about money on the table is hyperbole or just a plain lie.
- Robert
  
  They offered John money on the table and Thank God that he refused it. Because then it wouldnt have given the referee and chance to give his opinion on the case. Thats why Im glad he refuse any money or anything from the so could school board
comeon

Um Dorothy what money are you refering too? There isn’t anything in this report, or any that I have read, about the “mom” taking money.

Freshwater drops case against school

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